Rabies

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. People usually get rabies when they are bitten by an animal that has the virus. Rabies is present on every inhabited continent. In the U.S., the vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. The good news is that people can easily take steps to help prevent and control rabies.